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St. Cloud State professor finds poor security back home in Iraq

(AP) - A St. Cloud State University professor
who's back in his home country of Iraq says security concerns have
kept him from seeing his family.

In a letter to friends and colleagues, Abbas Mehdi said that he
had yet to connect with his family after being in Iraq for nearly
three weeks.

Mehdi, 56, a professor of sociology and anthropology, returned
Sept. 10 as an adviser to a group helping the government rebuild
Iraq's infrastructure and government.

According to the St. Cloud Times, which published parts of the
letter Wednesday, Mehdi wrote that he lives in a "very secure" location but it's too dangerous to travel elsewhere, and that's
kept him away from his family.

"The security inside my compound is great, but going out is
another story," he wrote. "I have been almost 20 days in Baghdad
and have not been able to see my own family yet. Every time we go
out of the compound for business meetings, I have to wear
bulletproof protection and a helmet.

"I need to notify the security about my trip at least 48 hours
in advance; they must approve all outings. Sometimes they cancel
trips at the last minute. When I leave the compound, there are at
least three bulletproof vehicles and 12 guards."

The professor's group is in the initial stages of its work,
which is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.
They're introducing themselves to U.S. government officials in
Baghdad, Iraq government officials, and international donors and
organizations such as the United Nations and World Bank, he wrote.

"Iraq is a war zone and the security is very bad. We are truly
living in a war, and whatever you see and hear in the media about
Iraq represents a very small part of Iraq reality," he wrote.
"Sadly, everyone is in danger here, and every day hundreds of
innocent people are dying."

Mehdi came to America in 1982, moved to Minnesota in 1988 and
became a citizen in 1995. He said before leaving that he wasn't
sure how long he would stay in Iraq.

"I feel very happy to be in Iraq and to be part of
everything," Mehdi wrote. "I am making personal assessments on my
options and plans. The security situation, however, will be a
determining factor for my future plans."